Dierker back in Astros fold as special assistant

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Larry Dierker, who has been a part of Major League Baseball in Houston as a player, manager and broadcaster for almost a half-century, will rejoin the team as a special assistant to new Astros president of business operations Reid Ryan, the team announced today.

“I’ll be doing some writing and will be a right-hand man for Reid, mostly in the area of public relations,” Dierker said. “I get the feeling that I will gravitate to the area of need in terms of trying to put the best foot forward for fans while we rebuild.”

The Astros said Dierker met today with Ryan and Astros owner Jim Crane to discuss his new duties.

“Larry is a huge part of our history,” Ryan said in a team statement. “He has a great deal of knowledge and years of experience that we will utilize. We’re excited that he is back in the organization and we know the fans will be as well.”

Today’s announcement came almost two months to the day after a public rupture between the team and one of its most popular figures. Dierker, who had hoped to rejoin the team’s reshuffled broadcast lineup, refused to sign a contract with the team in March that would have called on him to make up to 180 appearances on the team’s behalf and said he was not interested in a role with the Astros that did not involve “meaningful work.”

Dierker’s disappointment over that offer, and his criticism of the Crane regime under club president George Postolos, led to Postolos describing his attitude as one of “sour grapes.” That, in turn, led to a subsequent meeting between Dierker and Crane in which Dierker explained his concerns to the owner and emerged to say “everything is fine” with Crane.

His return to the Astros’ fold comes eight days after Postolos’ resignation as Astros president and on the second full day of Reid Ryan’s tenure as Astros president of business operations.

Dierker said he expects his new job “will be a lot different from what I would have been doing in the contract I got from George. The writing (for the Astros’ team program) will be a big element for me. I think I can say a lot of things from my perspective, having been here forever, that others wouldn’t know without some research.”

He spent Tuesday, for example, writing a story for the program about the Astros’ current rebuilding program in the context of the other three major rebuilding efforts in the club’s 52-year history.

Dierker said he also is optimistic about Ryan’s role with the Astros and realistic about the job he faces in boosting fan morale and customer support as the Astros continue their rebuilding plan in the wake of back-to-back 100-loss seasons.

“Reid has run teams and managed people, and he’s a baseball guy,” Dierker said. “He also has an infectious enthusiasm. He can get people excited, and we’re going to need that to keep fans feeling good about the team and the likelihood that this rebuilding will result in more teams that can contend again. We’ve got to get the people who liked us and have given up to come back and give those who are hanging on some reason to believe.”

Dierker signed with the Colt .45s in 1964 and made his major league debut on his 18th birthday, Sept. 22, 1964, striking out Willie Mays in the first inning. He was the Astros’ first 20-game winner in 1969 with a 20-13 record and pitched a no-hitter in 1976 against the Montreal Expos.

His career record with the Astros of 137-117 ranks third in wins in franchise history, and he holds team records for starts (320), complete games (106), innings pitched (2,2941?3) and shutouts (25).

After pitching his final season in the majors in 1977 for the Cardinals, Dierker spent a year in sales with the Astros and worked as a team broadcaster from 1979 to 1996 before owner Drayton McLane named him as the team’s manager in 1997. He led the club to National League Central Division titles in 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2001 and was NL Manager of the Year in 1998.

Dierker resigned after a fourth straight NL Division Series loss to conclude the 2001 season, and his uniform No. 49 was retired in 2002. He returned to the broadcast booth on a limited basis in 2004 and 2005 and remained with the team as a community outreach executive. Larry’s Big Bamboo, the bar behind home plate at Minute Maid Park, is named in his honor.